Swimming Lessons
by Xameri
Summary: The Objective: Teach Hatake Kakashi how to swim without purposely drowning him in the local pool, river, or pond. Easier said then done, in Iruka's opinion. KakashixIruka
1. Mission assigned

**Disclaimer: **Kakashi and Iruka or any other Naruto characters don't belong to me and are copyrighted to Masashi Kishimoto and company.

**Warnings: **Eventual boyxboy

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Umnio Iruka was not one easily surprised, after all he was a ninja and as such he had to be prepared for the worst of the worst. Or at least, he was sure that's what would be written in his job description if being a ninja was really considered a job.

But here he was, shocked into silence. Or more correctly, he was silent now only because he had time to think over what the mission he was assigned to take on entailed.

"How did I get dragged into this?"

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**Chapter 1: Mission Assigned**

It had been a relatively normal day for Iruka as far as he was concerned. Nothing was amiss and he managed to escape with all his limbs intact. After all, it had been such a nice day and thus he decided to treat his class to an afternoon of practicing throwing Kunai and Shuriken at the targets. It had been fun for both sides, though Iruka was sometimes forced to yell at a child who made the mistake the threatening another child with their weapon or something equally unwise. But he would also give advice and assist those who needed aid by helping them go through the motion of throwing the weapon.

And when he dismissed his class, he was actually looking forward to the weekend that was ahead of him. Of course he would grade test papers and such that he'd probably put that off until Sunday night. Meaning he could relax or maybe go out and get a drink or something equally fun. At least, that's what he was considering as he shoved his things into his well used massager bag.

He grabbed a few scrolls off of the table before heading to the mission's desk, sighing as he began to prepare himself mentally for the task of berating the Jounin who were sure to hand in poorly written mission reports.

Really, one would think they would be able to write better than his pre-genin. "Probably just too lazy….or insane, maybe both." He grumbled as he set his stuff down on the desk.

Not that he labeled Jounin as lazy and insane just because they were Jounin. He tried to look past that stereotype, really, he did.

Iruka plopped down on his seat and was about to take out the papers that needed to be graded when he noticed a scroll, one that he didn't bring in, resting in front of him.

"Huh…." He rubbed the bridge of his scar, looking at it thoughtfully for a moment before taking a quick glimpse around to make sure it was for him. The other two ninjas assigned for desk duty that night weren't there and it had his name on it. So, assuming there wasn't another Iruka in the village, than the scroll was meant for him.

Meaning he had a mission.

And he wasn't sure whether to be happy or upset that his weekend plans would be ruined. Even if he didn't HAVE any weekend plans, it was just the principle of the idea that he COULDN'T have any now.

He carefully rolled it open and read over what his assignment was.

And he almost dropped the scroll, jaw already unhinged from his mouth as his chocolate brown eyes slowly widened.

He sat there for a good minute in shock, his brain trying to make sense of the situation at hand. Why him, why not some Jounin like Gai-sensei or Asuma-sensei or…or…ANYONE else? Why him?

…Besides the fact that he was a teacher and he had an uncanny reputation of being kind-hearted and patient and well…good all-around. STILL, he didn't think that meant he had to be forced to endure this form of torture!

Maybe it was a joke? Iruka perked up at the idea and laughed aloud, that explained it! "I bet it's one of my students or maybe a Jounin who thinks he's being cute." He mused, scratching at his scar as he looked up to see the door opening up.

And in strolled Genma, looking positively bored.

"Genma, did you plant this fake mission report on my desk?" Iruka inquired, giving the honey-blonde man his best teacher voice and glare.

He didn't seem very affected though his senbon did twitch nervously between his lips. Iruka, not satisfied with the reaction jumped up from his seat and waved it wildly around as he walked up to the man and shoved it in his hands.

"If this is your idea of a sick joke or something, it's not funny!" he exclaimed, suddenly nervous because he was just getting a blank stare. He could have sworn Genma was going to ask if he was alright and on drugs or something but luckily the man decided against it.

Instead he carefully rolled open the scroll and began to slowly read what was written on it. Iruka waited for an explanation, his foot tapping impatiently against the floor.

"Well….?"

The senbon between Genma's lips fell from his lips as the scroll landed harshly on the ground. He stared at Iruka for a moment, looking startled at first but that quickly faded as he burst into a round of loud laughter, kneeling over as he struggled to calm himself down.

This wasn't good. "….Genma..? Why are you laughing? This is one of your jokes, correct?" he questioned, gulping as the man before him began to laugh harder.

He wasn't sure what he was more scared of, the fact that the mission he was assigned was, in fact, real, or that Genma seemed to be dying of laughter.

"This isn't funny!" the Chuunin snapped, faintly blushing as he snatched the scroll off the floor before grumpily heading towards his desk. He sat down, huffing loudly as he glared at the offending thing in his hand.

He waited patiently for Genma to calm down and catch his breath, managing to take out a few tests and start marking them with red pen before the Jounin snatched the pen from his hand, a smirk gracing his features.

Iruka just glowered up at him, "What?"

"You have to teach Kakashi how to swim." Laughter threatened to burst from Genma's mouth as he stated this newly found fact.

Iruka just withdrew another red pen from his bag and went back to work, blatantly ignoring the man standing in front of him.

So what if the famous Sharingan user didn't know how to swim? He was sure it wasn't required to be a ninja though it seemed awful important in case one had to hide underwater or something like that. But that aside, teaching someone how to swim was easy…"Easy if it was anyone BUT that insanely perverted man." Iruka groaned loudly, slamming his head against the desk.

And in the back of his mind, the teacher couldn't help but wonder if Icha Icha was water proof.

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Alright, first Naruto fanfic and there are bound to be mistakes but I hope you enjoyed hopefully I got personalities straight on so far, though I can't be too sure, i might have failed But please read and review, it'll make my day :) Oh, and suggestions are ALWAYS welcomes, flames are NOT.

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	2. Shopping to Swim

First off, I'm sorry for being so lazy about writing the next chapter. I just can't seem to help it since it's summer here, meaning things can be put off until "tomorrow".

Oh and thank you to all my lovely reviewers :) They've made my days and helped convince me to continue on.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto or any of it's characters involved. They belong and are (c) to another company and person.

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**Chapter 2: Shopping to Swim**

Here, Iruka put forth the effort to arrive extra early to their designated meeting area and Kakashi had the nerve to not show up yet….and he was already two hours late. The chuunin pondered over the possibility of having Kakashi "accidentally" drown in the pool.

He shook his head, quickly dismissing the idea; it would be better to just purposely shove the man into deep water and let him drown for a while before saving him. That way people would know he wasn't trying to kill Kakashi; he was just trying to…teach the man a lesson.

And really, no one could blame the young teacher for being annoyed, after all Kakashi had suggested they meet here today. That and Iruka hadn't heeded Naruto's rants about Kakashi inability to arrive on time.

The chuunin rubbed the bridge of his nose as he took a deep breath, trying to clam himself down. There was no reason to get annoyed after all, Kakashi was only late…"On the first day of our mission! Damn it!" He snapped, standing up quickly and glaring at the ground threateningly. He was certain the ground would be scared for its life it if had a life. Though, in all technicalities, the earth was alive, so who was he to say the ground didn't have life?

He rolled his eyes and mumbled something about his mind getting off track on the problem at hand. He needed to stay focus so he could remain upset with the infamous Sharingan user.

Digging into his pockets, Iruka withdrew a rather disgusting looking piece of paper. The school teacher wrinkled his nose as he daintily held the filthy paper. He doubled checked that this was, indeed, where he was supposed to meet the man. Taking a quick glance around, he once again confirmed for the sixth time that hour that he was supposed to meet Kakashi here. Sighing he shoved the paper back into his pocket, swearing that if he ever got his hands on the man, he was going to kill him.

"Maybe I should just go inside…" he mused, eyeing the store that was standing a few feet before him. It was where Kakashi had suggested they meet and Iruka had figured he wanted to meet outside before going in. "So, it's POSSIBLE he's inside though unlikely because he would have figured out I was out here waiting for him after a while, right?"

Suddenly, becoming doubtful, Iruka pulled open the stores door and entered, a gush of cold wind blasting past him. A shiver ran down his spine and he took a quick glance around, eyes widening.

He was impressed, he never knew such a large store full of swimsuits and gear resided in the Konohagakure. Then again, he was in the civilian part of the village so that might explain why this store was unknown to him, after all, how many ninja bothered to go swimming at the local pool, let alone take a vacation to the beach?

"Only crazy ones…" he mused thoughtfully, chuckling as he looked around the store curiously, Kakashi's lateness momentarily forgotten.

Wondering over to the men's bathing suit section, Iruka looked through what was offered, deciding that he needed a new pair of swim trunks since his old pair were looking a bit raggedy. Eyeing a fair pairs in particular, he came to a halt when he spotted something eye-catching.

A hot blush began to spread across his cheeks as he stared at the swimsuit hanging with all the others, rather embarrassed for no particular reason. A black Speedo with a little blue dolphin on the front was swinging lightly from its hanger, barely hanging on to the plastic object. Iruka gulped, knowing it would be polite to help right the bathing suit but…he really didn't want to touch it.

So did he just go one, pretending he didn't see the Speedo or put it back rightfully on the hanger?

Iruka took a step forward and snatched up the swim suit, if it could honestly be called that, suddenly interrupted by a voice.

"Iruka-sensei, I see you've found a bathing suit to wear though might I suggest buying another pair while you're teaching me? I'd rather not be distracted by the sight of you wearing such a thing."

The brunette turned around, eyes wide as his blush began to deepen, clutching the Speedo closer to his body instinctively.

"Ah, K-Kakashi-sensei!"

Exactly the person he had been impatiently waiting for and here he was…being as annoying as ever. "What do you mean you'd be distracted? Not that it even matters because I didn't even plan on buying this….this…THING."

Kakashi looked doubtful as he raised an eyebrow, "Then, pray tell, why are you clutching the item in question so close to your body?"

"I was just trying to put it back on its hanger, that's all!" he protested, glaring up at the Jounin, "Besides, I would never wear something like this in front of _you."_

"Ah, so you WOULD wear something like that then." Kakashi calmly replied, looking rather amused by this whole conversation.

The Chuunin barely restrained a growl, getting rather frustrated with Kakashi turning his words around. "No, that's not what I meant and you know it! I would never wear something like this!"

Iruka quickly clipped the offending item back onto the hanger and stormed over to a group of swim trunks he had been eyeing early. The silver haired man followed lazily behind and he was certain he head the man sigh.

"Maa, Iruka-sensei, I was just teasing you…" his voice trailed off as he noticed the nasty glower he was receiving once more from the teacher.

"Would you care to explain to me why your two hours late?" he questioned, placing both hands on either of his hands as he attempted to glare down the man…err, glare up.

"Well, I was wondering down the road of life when I was suddenly stopped by a dog, whose name I can't recall. But he told me a little boy was stuck in a nearby well, which didn't happen to be very nearby, but I followed him anyway, determined to help said boy…"

A loud and irritated sigh cut of the rest of Kakashi's explanation as Iruka has his eyes closed and was rubbing the bridge of his nose, looking for the entire world aggravated by the Jounin's blatant lie.

"Please, Kakashi-sensei, if you are going to lie…couldn't you at least come up with a more convincing one? I'm not one of your students; you don't have to make up some lame excuse."

The man's one visible eye crinkled at its edges as it turned into an inverted U and the academy teacher was sure he was smiling under his mask right now, though Iruka couldn't be sure.

With one final sigh, Iruka looked at Kakashi and asked him seriously, "Do you have any experience with swimming?"

* * *

Iruka impatiently tapped his foot against the title floor as he waited for Kakashi to pick out what he wanted. Really, he didn't understand what was so hard.

"Really, Kakashi-sensei, just pick out one of the candy bars already so we can hurry up and pay for this."

Shopping for the items needed to teach one how to swim took about 30 minutes. With the masked Jounin helping, it took them two hours. Mostly because Kakashi seemed to grow bored fast, meaning he withdrew his famous orange book and began to read. And when that happened, the man was really unhelpful. It was driving Iruka up a wall which was odd since the Chuunin was usually patient with everyone, it came with the job.

But maybe he was also ready to kill the silvered haired ninja because he was teasing the snot out of Iruka and he got a **kick **out of it.

Iruka withdrew his wallet as he prepared to buy for all the items, looking rather forlorn as he knew paying for this would take a big chunk out of his account. He's probably be stuck with eating ramen for a whole week, which wasn't too bad in his mind, considering.

With a gloomy expression, the brunette handed over the money needed to pay for their swim trunks, a pair of goggles –they didn't have goggles for the one-eyes person-, two cheap towels, two body boards, a waterproof mask that Kakashi could wear underwater, something that covered books to prevent them from getting wet if you felt like reading underwater, and sunscreen –mostly for Kakashi-.

Snatching up the bagged items, Iruka looked over at the Jounin. "Well, Kakashi-sensei…I suppose this is it for today. We'll begin our first lesson in swimming tomorrow, alright? Oh and shall we meet at the same place as today?"

Kakashi looked lazily up from his book before nodding, "Alright Sensei." He then began to calmly walk out of the store, tossing a hand over his shoulder in a half-assed wave directed at Iruka.

"DON'T BE LATE THIS TIME, KAKASHI-SENSEI!"

Iruka shouted desperately after the man, figuring it was already too late since the door was swinging closed but it couldn't hurt to try and tell him, right?

"Right." he mumbled as he headed for the exit.

Iruka decided he should probably bring a book tomorrow, just in case his "student" was late again tomorrow.

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I tried my best in keeping the two Kakashi and Iruka in character, so I hope I did a good job. Anyway, please read and review. :)


	3. First Lesson

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto and characters, they are copyrighted to the creator and his company :)

_"flashback"- _Italic lettering is flashback which happens to be dedicated to the reviewer **Stinky Horowitz**

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**Chapter 3: First Lessons**

Tapping a pencil thoughtfully against the side of his head, Iruka stared blankly at the paper resting before him as the days earlier conversation with Kakashi ran through his head…

"_Do you have any experience with swimming?"_

"_Maa, Iruka-sensei, do you really think you'd have this mission if I did?" Kakashi replied, not being the helpful in the slightest._

"_Kakashi-sensei, please, just answer the question. It would make this easier for both of us if you did and try not to answer with one of your own questions this time."_

_The Jounin's eye curved happily as he responded with, "Sensei, I gave you an answer though maybe it wasn't direct enough for you. No, I don't have any experience swimming because, quite frankly, I don't have time to play around in a pool. " _

_Iruka felt himself tense up at Kakashi's tone of voice, which was contrary to what his eye may have suggested, and he glowered at the man before him. He didn't like the implication Kakashi seemed to be making, that he had time to waste swimming at the local pool. Which, quite frankly, he had no idea even EXISTED in the village. _

_With a stiff nod, the chuunin turned his attention elsewhere, unsure how to retort to the man's comment without coming off rude. Which was a lot harder then it seemed so he decided silence was the best solution, even if he DID want to tell Kakashi off. _

"_If you want to know, I can do the doggy paddle though that's not the kind of swimming that's useful when it all comes down to it."_

"_That means I'll need to teach you the basics then and we'll go from then after you get that down." Iruka responded, glancing over his shoulder to take a quick peek at the Jounin. After all, it was useful information to know, no matter how annoyed he was at the moment with the other man. _

_Kakashi stared right back, "Iruka-sensei, you wouldn't happen to be as a good of a swimmer as your name would suggest…would you?" _

_The brunette in question looked a bit taken aback and would have been insulted if not for the fact that Kakashi looked honestly curious. _

"_Ano, I wouldn't know but I've been told that I'm rather good. No one ever compared me to a dolphin though, so I suppose you'll have to make the evaluation yourself." He replied softly as he turned around, rubbing the bridge of his nose shyly._

"_What about you, Kakashi-sensei? Didn't you ever go swimming as a child?" _

_The masked man looked lazily at Iruka, his hand wondering into his pocket to withdraw his favorite reading material. "I was too busy playing ninja to swim, Iruka-sensei."_

_And with that, the man buried his nose in the obnoxious book, much to Iruka's dismay and chagrin…_

Thinking back now, Iruka felt incredibly stupid for asking that question. How could he have forgotten that Kakashi graduated from the academy at an exceptionally early age? Sighing, Iruka rubbed his nose for a moment, looking at the lesson plans he scribbled on the paper.

His eyes wondered over toward the clock, a bit surprised at how late it was already. "Best head to bed…" he mused, scooting out of his chair before turning off the lamp. He stood up and wondered blindly toward his bedroom, trying to get his eyes adjusted to the darkness.

He managed to make it into the bathroom without turning on the lights and by only running into a wall once, which he admitted mentally, was rather shameful for a ninja. Ah well, he was tired and his mind was distracted so that was reason enough for him as he took a shower.

Once done, the teacher wondered drowsily into his bed, snuggling deep into his covers. He needed all the rest he could get for tomorrow, after all, it was Kakashi first swimming lesson.

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Ironically, from arriving 55 minutes late to their meeting spot, Iruka was practically on time since Kakashi himself came only 5 minutes later. Smiling, the academy teacher swung a blue duffel bag over his shoulder. The silver haired man eyed in curiously and Iruka responded to the silent question with, "Our swimming gears in here. Now, shall we head in?"

He gestured toward the small building a few feet away from them which had a sign plastered above it with admission fees and the name "Konohagakure Swimming Pool".

Iruka thought it was a truly unique name.

The two walked over there, or in Kakashi's case, strolled. Just as the Chuunin was about to pull out his wallet to pay for admission, which was relatively cheaper since the two got a discount for being a ninja, Kakashi snatched his wrist.

"Maa, Iruka-sensei, you bought all that swimming supplies for us, so in return I'll pay for the admission. I wouldn't want to hurt your bank account any more then I already have."

The scarred man looked rather surprised and he faintly blushed, "Ah, Kakashi-sensei, Thank you then." Kakashi's eye just curved in response as he let go of the others hand as he took out his own wallet and paid for their admittance.

The two ninjas then headed for the locker room, Iruka beginning to blush when he realized that they would have to undress in order to change into their swimming outfits. Mentally, he scolded himself for being so foolish for not realizing that earlier.

"Um…Kakashi-sensei, if you'd like, I can wait out here while you change…?" he offered, trying to be as thoughtful as he could.

The Jounin just grinned, "Why, Iruka-sensei, we're both men so I don't see the point in us taking turns unless…there's something you'd like to tell me?"

Scowling, the Chuunin brushed past Kakashi and headed inside, dropping the bag on the nearest bench. Iruka then sipped open the bag and began to dig through it for their swim suits, tossing Kakashi's at him without bothering to look up, hoping silently it would hit him the face.

He then turned around and began to undress, blatantly ignoring Kakashi's presence as he took off his flask jacket before pulling off his navy blue turtle neck. Mentally cursing the Jounin behind him, he began to pull down his boxers when he felt eyes…err, eye staring at his back.

A blush slowly began to creep across Iruka's cheek as he looked over his shoulder, raising one eyebrow, "Is there something you want, Kakashi-sensei? Or are you just enjoying the view?"

The Jounin stared lazily at Iruka before he jerked his head at the large scar resting between the shoulder blades. "That's from when you shielded Naruto from Mizuki's attack, correct?"

Brown eyes widened in surprise as the teacher nodded, "Well, yes….how did you….?"

"Everyone knows about that incident Iruka-sensei." Kakashi stated in an almost obvious tone of voice.

The Chuunin could only nod, "Ah, well…you can go ahead to the pool if you'd like, I'll only be a moment longer." And with that said, Iruka pulled off his boxers and replaced them with his new swimsuit in a blink of an eye.

Kakashi stared blankly at the man, rather surprised and….mildly disappointed. He scratched the back of his head, "Iruka-sensei, you could have taken your time changing, I didn't mind waiting. I was enjoying the show anyway."

He playfully leered in Iruka's direction before ambling out of the room as fast as he could go without seeming like he was in a hurry to leave.

So by the time what Kakashi had just said hit Iruka, he was left fuming silently in the locker, storming after the masked man.

"Perverted bastard…" he grumbled darkly, snorting as he spotted Kakashi timidly sticking his big toe into the water.

"Don't worry, you'll get used to the temperature of the water. "

"If you say so…what's our first lesson today, Sensei?"

"Ah, I was wondering if you'd be so kind to show me the doggy paddle? We'll go from there, alright?"

"…Do I have to go into the water now? Can't we wait until later in the day when it's sure to be warmer because of the sun's rays?" Kakashi protested lightly, looking doubtfully at the bright blue water.

"Kakashi-sensei, either you go in willingly and do what I just asked, or I'll be forced to push you in." Iruka ordered, glaring sternly at the masked man as he placed both hands on his hips.

Kakashi seemed thoughtful for a moment, trying to decide whether or not Iruka would actually push him in before he did as he was told, certain Iruka would all to willingly push him into the too blue water.

He shivered as the body hit his water before he looked over his shoulder at Iruka. The teacher just nodded his head, "Go ahead, I'll join you in the water as soon as you show me your stuff."

The Jounin let out a sigh as he looked around blankly for a moment before pushing himself off the ground and kicking his legs at a constant momentum. Kakashi paddled towards the other side before he turned around and propelled back to where he began.

Iruka clapped as he walked over and slide his body into the pool. "Good job Kakashi. It seems you've got kicking down pretty well except, I think you bend your legs too much and you use your entire leg to "swim" the width of the pool instead off just using you lower leg. It's a better way to conserve energy, which you'll need if you were to swim long distances."

The masked man nodded, soaking up the information Iruka just supplied him with like a sponge. "So, I take it we'll be practicing our kicking today?"

With a warm smile, Iruka nodded as he replied with, "Correct, Kakashi-sensei….except, I won't be kicking unless you need an example of what your legs should look like. So, just grab a hold of the ledge of the pool and start kicking for me. I'll try to point out your mistakes and fix the position of your legs if need be."

Kakashi wordlessly nodded as he gripped the edge of the pool and allowed his body to float up before he began kicking. Iruka began to shout out commands after a minute of watching Kakashi kick silently.

And that's when Kakashi realized this whole "swimming" thing wasn't going to be as easy as he had thought it would be, especially with the dolphin as his teacher. He almost wondered if Iruka was punishing him for all the lewd comments he's made so far.

Plus, Kakashi mused, his time to read his adult material would be cut down tenfold meaning he'd have to make it up by making twice as many obscene comments as usual to make up for lost time.

The silvered haired man smirked to himself; suddenly confident that this wasn't going to be as bad as he originally thought it was going to be.

* * *

We finally got to the swimming :) I considered going further with it but I decided to save if for the next chapter/ thought it might get boring but I'm not certain if the choice was for the best. As always, I hope I kept these two favorite characters of mine in character.

Please, read and review! Suggestions are welcomed, flames are not. oh and I'm looking for a beta, anyone wanna recommend one?

AND THANK YOU TO ALL MY REVIEWERS OUT THERE! **Ryu Earth, Aoh, Krazi Kelli, sam, and itsSwitzerlish. **


	4. Names and Noodles

I'm sorry for being so late about this next chapter, really, I am. School just started for me so I won't update...like I did before, which wasn't very much anyway but still, you readers have a right to know. So enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **Naruto does not belong to me, he is copyrighted to Kishimoto and company. Only this idea belongs to me. these change every chapter, have you noticed?

**Warning:** A little boy love in this chapter, so if you don't want to read it then don't.

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**Chapter 4: Names and Noodles  
**

It was around noon when Iruka figured they should stop lessons for the day. "Ne, Kakashi-sensei, what do you say we stop for today?"

The man in question looked over from his current place of residence, which happened to be atop a large and obnoxious blue dolphin floating device. Really Iruka wasn't sure what to call it, but no matter how much he wanted to hate the…thing (and Kakashi for even bringing such a ridiculous object with him), he couldn't because he found it rather adorable. The inflatable dolphin, that is, not the manfloating on top of it.

"But Iruka-sensei, I was just beginning to kick back and relax." Kakashi protested, and as if to further prove his point, he stretched himself languidly across the dolphin, his limbs hanging loosely over the side.

The Chuunin just rolled his eyes as he swam over to Kakashi. "Honestly, Kakashi-sensei, you're worse than my students when it comes to laziness."

"Maa…Iruka-sensei, you don't have to be so mean."

Iruka managed to resist the urge to roll his eyes again. "Please, Kakashi, there's no need to exaggerate."

Kakashi raised a silver eyebrow in response, bringing his head up slightly in order to look curiously at the brunette. "Huh? I didn't realize we had gotten so familiar with one another, _Iruka._"

Iruka's eyes widened and he looked away, seeming embarrassed at his sudden slip up. He scratched his scar nervously as he floated in the water. "A-ano…I…. It was an honest slip up. I'm sorry Hatake-san." He mumbled, trying to will away the blush that stained his cheeks.

Mentally, Iruka scolded himself for being so careless… To think, he was acting friendly with the legendary Copy-nin as if he were one of his own academy students. This made him feel worse because Kakashi could consider that as insubordination and, as a result, rightfully demand a proper apology.

What he hadn't expected was a soft chuckle followed by an amused voice commenting: "No need to worry sensei, I wasn't insulted…just surprised. But, if you're going to call me Kakashi, then I'll return the favor. Now, sensei, what do you say to having lunch with me?"

Iruka snapped his head up in surprise and his blush deepened, though whether that was from being asked to go out to lunch or because he had been given permission to drop the suffixes, he wasn't sure. "I…well, sure. I'll join you for lunch today."

Kakashi's lone eye curved upwards, and he slowly rolled over into the water below, causing it to 

burst up and splash on Iruka, who sputtered as water crashed down on him. He glowered at the all too innocent-looking Kakashi.

"Ne, I thought your face was getting a little red from the sun, sensei, so I thought I'd cool you down with some water. But apparently it's not working because you're getting redder."

Iruka rubbed the bridge of his nose, attempting to calm himself down because there was no reason to get annoyed over something so silly. And yet, Iruka wanted to throttle the masked man just because he had purposely gotten him wet and he had the nerve to act all cute about it.

"I'm cute, am I?" A husky voice whispered into Iruka's ear suddenly, warm breath caressing the skin and causing a small shiver to run through the brunette. "How flattering, sensei, but I was preferably going for another set of adjectives. Want to know which ones I'm talking about?"

And just as sudden as the voice had come, along with the heat, it was gone. Iruka blinked; a bit dazed as he forgot what exactly he had been annoyed at before.

Before the Chuunin even had a chance to ask what the hell had just happened, Kakashi had already moved out of the water and was crouching at the edge of the pool, staring curiously at him. "Coming Iruka?"

Flushing a deep scarlet, Iruka scrambled over to the edge and pulled himself out as well, ignoring the bemused look Kakashi gave him when he stumbled over a lawn chair. It wasn't his fault that he was distracted andas a result had forgotten the chair had been there!

Sighing, he trudged into the locker room, trying to figure out the Jounin's words.

* * *

Plopping down into an overly familiar seat, Iruka ordered two large bowls of pork ramen before Kakashi could even sit down and say a word otherwise.

Once more, Kakashi seemed entertained by Iruka's confidence. Leaving Iruka all the more confused because the brunette was certain that when he had been outspoken before, Kakashi had been thoroughly insulted.

Not that Iruka could blame the man; after all, a mere Chuunin had been questioning his –as well as Asuma's and Kurenai's- judgment as well as his mental health in front of the Hokage and other ninja. And it was because at that point in time, he was certain no one sane enough would volunteer their just-graduated team of Genin for the Chuunin examinations. But he had been proven wrong, which hurt more than Iruka was willing to admit. And that was only because it just further proved that maybe, just maybe, he didn't know his students and Naruto as well as he thought.

Then again, maybe he was just over-thinking this situation, and he wasn't being all that outspoken. Maybe Kakashi understood that he was doing this all accidentally and so forgave him. The thought managed to comfort Iruka greatly, and so he broke the silence by off-handily commenting with: "You're a quick learner, aren't you Kakashi? I'm rather impressed by the speed at which you've picked up what I've taught so far. Maybe tomorrow I'll have you start putting the arm and leg motions together…"

By the time the words escaped his lips, Iruka realized how stupid he just sounded. _He_ was impressed by how quick Hatake Kakashi, the man who became a Chuunin at the age of six, was learning to swim?

Luckily, before Iruka made a further fool of himself, the two bowls of steaming ramen were set before them followed by two glasses of ice cold water.

The Chuunin reached for his bowl, carefully slurping up the broth before setting his bowl down to eat the ramen. When he looked over to ask Kakashi something, his eyes widened as he found the other man's bowl to be completely empty.

"Ah, Kakashi…you could rival Naruto with the speed at which you eat your food." He commented as he brought a large bundle of ramen to his lips.

"But sensei, you're not amazed at the speed in which I eat. Aren't you worried I might choke? Or has Naruto already spoiled the surprise by telling you this?"

"I wouldn't say I'm worried about you choking (though there is a very high possibility you might), but I'm going to assume that you, the legendary Copy-nin, would not be beaten by a bunch of ramen noodles. And yes, Naruto's told me about the speed at which you eat. At first I didn't believe him but….well, it seems he's right."

Iruka continued, munching thoughtfully on his noodles all the meanwhile. "Kakashi….if you don't mind me asking, why didn't you just sign up for one of the civilian swimming classes if you wanted to learn?"

The Jounin stared at Iruka for a moment, not seeming taken aback by the question but instead like he was almost expecting it and, as such, had an answer already prepared.

"You're a good teacher. Besides, I didn't want to end up in a class with a bunch of whiny children who get tired easily or don't understand." Kakashi explained, lightly shrugging.

"Would the children have bothered you that much? I mean they'd probably all respect and admire you. And, how would you know I'm a good teacher, Kakashi? You've never seen me teach my students."

The last part came out more of a question because, for all he knew, Kakashi could be stalking him in his free time to see if he was a good enough teacher.

"Maybe they would but that's beside the point. Tsunade saw it fit to make a mission out of this for me because I wasn't going to willingly do this. It's ironic that she chose you though, because I probably would have gone with you myself if I had been allowed to choose anyway. As to knowing you're a good teacher, Naruto's always spoken highly of you and your abilities. And besides, Tsunade thinks you're good enough to teach me so that must mean something, right sensei?"

Iruka wasn't sure what to say to that, and as a result he just continued to silently eat his noodles, nodding. "Yes, I suppose you're right…" he murmured before suddenly realizing something.

"Kakashi, must you call me sensei? I thought we'd agree to call each other by our names and so far, I'm the only one doing so."

Kakashi just grinned in response, his eye curling up once more, "You're my Sensei, aren't you?"

The Chunnin sputtered, "W-well, yes I suppose so….but that's honestly beside the point. You can just call me Iruka, honestly."

"Ne, it's much more fun this way Sensei. I've always wanted to play the school boy scenario with someone."

Iruka stared blankly at Kakashi, looking rather confused but also weary because he didn't like the sound of where this conversation was going. It was almost liked Kakashi was talking about…

"Like in Icha Icha Volume Three, the female student seduces her sensei in their after school sessions. This is something similar, wouldn't you say…._Sensei?_"

The undertone of Kakashi's words and the way he purred the word _sensei_ did not escape Iruka's ears and mind. Actually, it stopped his brain while the words continued to ring clearly in his ears.

A bright red slowly began to crawl up the brunette's tan skin as he just stared at Kakashi, too mortified to even do anything yet.

Kakashi just smirked, looking rather pleased with this result as he brought up a hand and lightly ran a hand over Iruka's brilliantly white scar. "Ne, sensei, you might want to do something about that blush of yours. You're as red as a tomato."

Iruka gulped, brown eyes widening slightly as he enjoyed the strange tingle that lingered after Kakashi's fingers moved on. "K-Kakashi-sensei…." He whispered softly, his tone perplexed but pleased.

The Jounin leaned forward smoothly going by Iruka's face and roughly stating: "_Iruka_, I thought we discussed this already. Call me Kakashi."

Iruka jerked his head in the opposite direction, leaving the warmth behind to instead focus on what was left of his noodles. Besides, he needed to catch his breath and get his heart to slow down because it was beating too loud and too fast.

"A-ano, Kakashi… Would you like me to pay for the food?" He questioned after an uncertain silence, during which Iruka noticed the man move back to his seat before pulling out his book to read.

"Sensei, who do you take me for? Unlike Naruto, I'll pay for both our meals. It's the least I can do." Kakashi commented, not bothering to look up from his book as he replied.

The academy teacher just nodded, not up to arguing with the other at the moment.

As Iruka managed to convince himself to finish off the rest of the noodles, he heard Kakashi's chair move back as he stood up. "Money's on the table. I'll see you tomorrow, same time, Iruka."

And with a final wave over his shoulder that head of silver headed for the door, his nose buried deep into his book.

Iruka weakly waved back before turning back to his noodles that were becoming less and less appetizing by the second.

When he took this mission, he knew it wasn't going to be easy…and Kakashi just seemed to be making it worse.

"Stupid Kakashi…"

* * *

Whoo...what is Kakashi going to do next? I feel bad for Iruka, Kakashi's so difficult to handle. Suggestions are welcomed and, in case your wondering, I've found a beta though I still need to work out a few things with her.

And now, for a big thanks to my reviewers who get all my love;** With A Midnight Smile, itsSwitzerlish, Babycobweb, Asuka Hyuuga, sunkissedkelsey, Ally Plz, Ryu Earth, **and** Alex Yagami-Tai's cousin-.** Plus, thanks for all the Alerts and favorites :)

PLEASE read and review, I enjoy your reviews, as always. They make me laugh!


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